


A Risky Performance

by vanilla107



Category: The Greatest Showman - Fandom
Genre: A little angst, But mostly fluff, F/M, Fluff, One-Shot, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-30
Updated: 2017-12-30
Packaged: 2019-02-24 04:34:48
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,418
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13206087
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vanilla107/pseuds/vanilla107
Summary: Anne makes a risky move and it almost costs her life. How will Phillip react?





	A Risky Performance

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone!
> 
> So I watched the Greatest Showman yesterday and I can confidently say that it is one of my favourite musicals hands down. I had to write some fanfiction for it and I absolutely adored Anne and Phillip's relationship throughout the movie!I hope you all enjoy this and I can't wait to write more!

Anne Wheeler clenched her hands into fists as she looked at her reflection.

Her signature pastel pink wig was clipped into place and her face shone with the light layer of sweat. Her usual purple performance leotard was replaced with a brand new turquoise one, the small silver beading adorned the low neckline and the gold sequined cuffs shimmered in the candlelight.

She looked at her hands to find them just as sweaty and shaking slightly. She cursed under her breath and shut her eyes, trying to regulate her breathing.

“Anne? We have fifteen minutes till the show-”

Phillip Carlyle stopped in his tracks as he looked at the lean acrobat who looked like she was ready to faint. He had been seeing Anne for a few months now and he had never seen her life this.

“Anne...I think you need to sit down,” he murmured as he took her vanity chair and gently sat her down.

The gold buttons on his showman’s jacket glittered in the candlelight and his blue eyes searched to see if there was anything physically wrong with her. Her eyes were still closed and Phillip felt his worry deepen. He knelt down to face her and rubbed her hand soothingly, her callouses rough against his smooth skin.

“Anne, what’s wrong?”

She opened her eyes and Phillip had never seen so much worry in her eyes since the fire that had burned down the original circus building.

“Phillip...I don’t know if I can do this new trick with W.D,” she whispered and suddenly everything made sense to him.

She and W.D had been rehearsing a new performance for tonight’s show and every single attempt at the final move, she had fallen from her trapeze. Thankfully, there had always been a safety net so she was never hurt but she had wanted to perfect the performance before the show.

She never managed to.

When the circus heard that P. T. Barnum was going to be in the audience that evening, the nerves in Anne only increased. She didn’t want to put on a mediocre performance for the same guy who had given her a home and her livelihood. She didn’t want to disappoint anyone.

“Anne...you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do. I’d rather see you safe than get hurt,” he said softly, caressing her cheek.

“I know...I just want it to be perfect...and I haven’t been able to nail the final move and now Mr. Barnum is going to be here and I really want to do this move-”

Phillip put an index finger to her lips.

“Anne, you are perfect _already_. Please don’t force yourself to do something you are not prepared for. I think P. T. Barnum would prefer to see his best female acrobat alive and do a fantastic performance instead of a risky move and you wind up dead. Don’t push yourself if you know you aren’t ready for it,” he urged and Anne nod slowly.

“Okay…” she said sadly and Phillip’s heart ached. He knew how hard she had been practising and according to W.D, this was the first time she hadn’t managed to ace a performance.

“C’mon, we have a show to perform,” he said his tone bright and he cheered inwardly when he saw her give him a small smile.

“Let’s go.”

*********************

Phillip watched from the sidelines as the show progressed. So far, everything was running smoothly and the crowds roars were deafening.

He spotted P. T. Barnum in his seat with his wife and two daughters and the looks of pure joy on their faces made him smile.

Anne and her brother were the second last act before the finale and he was still worried about her. He watched nervously as she climbed the ladder to get to her position and start swinging from her trapeze. They started their performance and Phillip felt his nervousness ease a little as he recognized their usual routine. The crowd roared with approval as Anne gilded and flipped through the air with her brother.

They swung back and forth and Phillip’s eyes widened.

That was not part of their usual routine.

He watched in horror as she swung off her trapeze and did three aerial flips in the air and caught onto the next trapeze bar. He knew that her next move was the one she hadn’t perfected yet and he saw that all the other performers were watching with horror. They all knew of her failed practises and they looked at him hoping that he had a plan...but he didn’t.

“No, Anne! No!” he yelled desperately but his cries were in vain as the crowd cheered.

He watched and as if everything happened in slow motion, Anne elevated into the air and did the move she had failed so many times. She did four aerial flips and stretched her hands out to grab her brothers. Phillip swore that his heart stopped beating for a few seconds when he saw Anne grab her brother’s hand and swing to safety. He clutched his chest as the crowd and the rest of the performers burst into applause and Anne and W.D landed on their platform.

The two took a bow and the rest of the performers ran to the stage and began to dance for the finale. Phillip was in such shock that he almost forgot his cue. He ran to the stage and began to sing and dance with everyone else. Lettie sung the final note and the stage was lit with bright lights as the audience got to their feet and applauded the circus. Phillip lived to see the happiness on their faces and was even more relieved to see Anne holding his hand as they bowed.

**********************

“What were you thinking? Do you have any idea what a risk you took!” Phillip yelled and ran his hands through his golden brown hair with frustration.

Anne was silent, sitting on her vanity chair her eyes glued to the floor. Her wig was off, revealing her natural, curly, brown hair. Anne knew that if she had made one wrong move she could’ve died. She had no idea what she had been thinking when she decided to perform the risky move.

The rest of the performers were out celebrating at a local pub and Phillip had managed to catch Anne before she slipped away with the rest.

“Phillip, I’m sorry-”

“Sorry isn’t what I’m asking for! Why would you perform that trick when you knew that you hadn’t perfected it? Why would you risk your life-?” Phillip stopped and took a deep breath.

“I can’t lose you, Anne...I can’t…” he whispered and Anne looked at him with tears in her eyes.

“I never meant to do it. I-I was planning to do my usual performance but- Phillip I never meant to-” Anne’s voice cracked and the tears ran down her cheeks.

Phillip walked to her and knelt down and held her small frame to his. Her whole body shook as she sobbed.

“I’m sorry- I knew I never should’ve done it-” she sniffed and buried her face into his chest.

Phillip stroked her hair and gently kissed her forehead. They stayed like that in silence until Anne’s breathing became normal once more.

“I can’t believe out of all women, I fell in love with one who flies through the air and risks her life on a daily basis,” he chuckled and Anne let out a snort.

“Well believe it Carlyle,” she said with a small smile and he wiped away her last tears.

He looked into her bright chocolate eyes and even though they were red from crying, she looked relieved. He was filled with so much love for the acrobat that he couldn’t help but kiss her. Anne froze in shock but almost instantly melted into the kiss and wrapped her arms around his neck.

He held her close to him and kissed her like the world was ending.

“Promise me you’ll never do that again,” he murmured in between kisses.

“I promise,” she whispered breathlessly.

Phillip smiled and hugged her again before helping her to her feet. “Let’s go celebrate,” he said.

The two lovers hurried out of the circus tent into the cool night to join their friends in celebrating a successful show but Phillip would be celebrating that his love of his life was still with him and that she was safe in his arms.


End file.
